Walker Kessler posts 22 points, 6 blocks to push LA to 2-0

Center shoots 10-for-14 after a 12-for-12 season debut.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 49m1 min read

WALKER KESSLER DOES IT AGAIN 🚨 After going 12-12 from the field with 10 dunks (most by a Laker since Shaq) in his debut Via @NBA on X

What happened: Walker Kessler shot 10-for-14 from the floor while adding eight rebounds, three steals, and three assists in a +18 performance. The outing follows his 26-point season opener on 12-for-12 shooting, which featured 10 dunks, the most by a Laker since Shaquille O'Neal.

Why it matters: After moving past an early October finger injury in practice following his offseason tension in Utah, Kessler has immediately anchored the interior on both ends. Through two 2026-27 regular-season games, he has converted 22 of his first 26 field-goal attempts while serving as the primary rim protector.

By the numbers: Two-game totals: 48 points on 22-for-26 shooting (84.6% FG), combining a 12-for-12 opener (26 points, 10 dunks) with a 10-for-14 second game (22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals, 3 assists, +18). Kessler has also made 34 of 36 career field goals across five season openers.

What to watch: Los Angeles takes its 2-0 record into the next stretch of the 2026-27 regular-season schedule with Kessler anchoring the starting frontcourt.

Sources

@NBA 2026-10-24T06:23:03.327772+00:00

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